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“This is a minsu 民宿? You gotta be kiddin’ me – it looks more like a castle!” I told my Taiwanese friend when we first arrived at Florence Resort Villa 佛羅倫斯渡假山莊. The Italian-themed minsu is no doubt one of the best accommodation that Cingjing has to offer, coupled with a breathtaking view of the scenic mountains and lush grassland of Cingjing. It’s no wonder they are always fully booked by both local weekend trippers and overseas guests.

The humble entrance along the road belies the grandeur of the resort which is made up of two main buildings – main Italian Rural Castle 義大利鄉村城堡(一館) and Constantinople 君士坦丁堡(二館).

The main Italian Rural Castle 義大利鄉村城堡(一館) and stairs leading to the second building Constantinople where most of the larger rooms are. They offer spacious lofts which can comfortably accommodate the whole family.

Catch a view of Bihu/Emerald Lake 碧湖, part of Wanli Reservoir 萬大水庫 running through the mountains of Cingjing from the villa. Mesmerizing.

With such gorgeous scenery and weather, even I am tempted to go for a morning jog :)

Farms co-exist harmoniously with the numerous minsu in this area, providing delicious local mountain produce 山菜 for visitors

I got hungry by just looking at those crisp-looking leaves!

The view is so surreal, it’s just the perfect place to relax and forget about the cares of the world.

You can find floral blooms almost anywhere…along the roads, growing out of crevices, anywhere.

Cute figurines welcome you as you enter the lobby of Florence Resort Villa

Da Xiong (which looked more like a lion) the resident Golden Retriever is also at the lobby to welcome you. We woke him up from his nap haha.

Venetian carnival masks line the the stone wall in the lobby. I wonder if I can borrow one for the night :p

The decor of the villa is heavily Italian-inspired

The villa organises special programmes for guests as well depending on the season, such as this star gazing activity. It would be really cool to photograph the Milky Way adorned with Cingjing’s mountains.

There’s a library of DVDs and books which you can borrow, so no fear of boring nights :)

A little cafe area beside the lobby where you can relax and have tea.

Coffee, tea or me?

Nice little area for guests to relax just outside the main Italian Rural Castle building

Go round the corner down the slope, and you will discover a whimsical little hut, much like Hansel and Gretel’s. It’s actually Nina de Chocolate 妮娜巧克力工坊, a popular little chocolate atelier set up by the villa owners for their daughter Nina who loves to eat chocolate (lucky girl!). People specially come here to buy hand-made chocolates, while we went a step further – we took a short lesson to make some :)

I shall take my hand-made chocolates and eat them here, and pretend I am in a magical forest :)

Here is where we are staying – Constantinople.

It’s no wonder people call Cingjing Little Switzerland – for a moment I thought I was in Europe!

The guestrooms are named after the renowned cities of Italy, including Venice, Milan and Firenze. Here’s our friend’s spacious Baroque Double Room, an ideal choice for couples and honey mooners. You can almost play hide-and-seek here.

This is home for the trip, also a Baroque Double Room in another colour scheme.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall, can I stay here for good? :)

Super huge bathroom with a stone tub to soak in. The only gripe I have is that only a thick curtain separates the room and the toilet, so I will get a little conscious when I am taking a dump lol. Well, I guess if you are a couple, you gotta take each other’s good and crap – literally, haha.

Super plus point for me – heated toilet seat! Yeah, I like my bum warm and cosy, especially in a place where temperatures are 10-14 degree celsius in general :)

Most of the essential toiletries are provided

All the information you need is conveniently documented in a red book. You can also take the villa’s shuttle services to visit attractions in Cingjing, or charter one of their vehicles to bring you around.

They even provide ambient music to get you into the relaxed mood.

The villa provides every room with their own coffee machine, a tap to dispense hot/cold water (right) as well as hand-made chocolates from their chocolate atelier.

Even Dottie the bunny can’t wait to get to bed :)

Gorgeous view from the room balcony. I don’t want to go out.

Hang out at Starry Bar with your loved ones and watch the stars dance above you during the night.

Dining area

The villa provides steamboat meals as well as Western/Italian dishes with buffet.

We had a very pleasant and luxurious stay at Florence Resort Villa. There was much to do, we never felt bored. The warm hospitality of the service staff made us feel welcome as well, and we were blessed with good weather to take in a superb view of the scenery from the villa. I would recommend this place for couples and families looking for a special, fuss-free holiday or celebrating something special. While it’s not the cheapest option out there, we didn’t feel short-changed from the entire experience. Afterall, it’s not everyday you get to feel like an Italian princess :)

We are finally here! :) Yazhu was originally built by a Chinese doctor as his retirement home. He decided to turn it into a minsu so that more people can come and take a respite away from their busy urban lives.

What a cute dwarf!

A spacious dining area where you can hang out in between meal times greeted us. Coffee and tea is provided 24/7. Did I mention the most important of it all – there’s wifi! :)

The 3-storey building houses 10 rooms of various sizes which can accommodate up to 6 pax in a room.

A simple breakfast, but I have to say this was one of the BEST food I have tasted in a minsu. The ingredients were freshly prepared and so tasty! I can still remember the taste of the crunchy bun and juicy filling… One of us had a vegetarian meal, and she was all praises for it as well.

What a cute cup holder! You can feel the effort put in by the minsu owners to make their guests feel comfortable from the little touches prevalent throughout the house.

Say hello to Cai da-jie 蔡大姐 the minsu owner :) She is so friendly and down-to-earth we felt like living in a real home. Her husband, who is in the real estate business, is also the one who built most of the minsu in Cingjing area, so we can be sure no effort was spared to built Yazhu.

We loved the hand-made rabbits ‘playing’ nearby :) These rabbits were made by Cai Da-jie’s friend; I thought they added a fairytale touch to the place, like Alice in Wonderland.

Off to view our ‘nests’ for the night! Super spacious I must say…this room is particularly popular with honeymooners

Oooo…there’s a balcony :)

What a wonderful view! Having a leisurely tea here must be such a luxury.

What a big dressing area!

Looks like I will have a great snooze in this place ;)

A Japanese-inspired room

It’s not often a toilet can surprise me, but this one did – there’s a Japanese bathtub!

Water comes from the nearby hot spring, and the minsu provides onsen salts for an awesome soak. This must be the next best thing from going to Japan! Wondering what’s the kawaii yellow ducky? It’s a thermometer for you to measure the water temperature :)

Snacks and drinks when you get hungry at night

The minsu provides transport (from Sun Moon Lake and even Taipei) and sight-seeing services if you need. The van can take up to 6 pax plus luggage. Enquire with the minsu when you book.

Exploring the surroundings…ribbit

The minsu is surrounded by much greenery and life just slows down to a relaxed pace.

I noticed a lot of butterflies frolicking around, happy!

The Xitou Nature Education Area 溪頭森林遊樂區 is located in a valley surrounded by mountains on three sides. It has abundant natural resources and ecosystems, including a bamboo forest, divine trees, ginkgo forest, mountain trails, tea farms, and fireflies. Come during the month of April when it is the Lugu firefly season 鹿谷鄉螢火蟲季 and witness this magical scene. In fact, you can see the fireflies at a grass area just in front of the minsu, no need to look for them!

Idyllic stroll amongst nature

What a glorious morning stroll :)

There are some interesting professions around the area, just like this traditional floral signboard maker. I was pretty intrigued.

When it was time for us to leave, Cai Da-jie gave us a part of the minsu to remember by – a pair of rabbits! :) Dottie and Peaches are now happily living in my home, and I look forward to bringing them back to visit Yazhu during firefly season :)